


Knight in Tested Armor

by catsnkooks



Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Bodyguard AU, Canon-Typical Violence, Discrimination, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Minor Original Character(s), Princess reader, Royalty, discrimiation against clones, eventual angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 6,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25883914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catsnkooks/pseuds/catsnkooks
Summary: Separatist attacks and threats against your home planet lead to Jedi Master and General Plo Koon and his famous Wolfpack assisting with guarding the royal palace until the threats have alleviated. Being in close proximity to the clone commander leads you to a new understanding and respect for the sacrifice he and his brothers give to the Republic, as well as a little more.Everyone says a knight in shining armor will save a princess if she is in need. A knight in shining armor has never had his honor tested. He will not defend you properly. A knight in tested armor has proven his honor, and will not fail you. Not now, and not ever.
Relationships: CC-3636 | Wolffe/Reader
Comments: 16
Kudos: 73





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> thanks to @littlevodika for the title ily jj  
> we r all wolffe simps here. wolffe yearning hrs 24/7

The wind whistled in your ears on the landing pad. You stood beside your mother and father, eagerly awaiting the arrival of the Republic battalion who were to be your protectors for the near future. Your hands fisted your dress at your sides, and you glanced nervously at the charred remains of the Separatist flying droid at the other end of the landing pad—one of the many reasons why three Republic LAAT/i gunships were now landing on your planet.

The door to the leading ship opened and out stepped a Kel-Dor in brown Jedi robes followed by a tall man in white and gray plastoid armor. One of the clone troopers, you guessed, the ones you heard about from your friend in Coruscant.

“Good afternoon, Master Jedi,” your father greeted, bowing slightly. You followed his example and bowed respectfully.

“Good afternoon, your majesty,” the Jedi replied, also bowing. His voice was surprisingly deep from behind his mask. “I am Master Plo Koon. This is Commander Wolffe of the 104th Battalion.”

The commander had already taken off his helmet and he snapped to a smart salute. You weren’t sure what you were expecting, but the warm, tanned skin that greeted your eyes was not it. You recognized the features your friend gushed about after a few too many drinks from the clone bar she frequented—high cheekbones, defined jawline, the barest hint of corded muscles, and honey gold eyes. Well, _eye_ , in the case of Commander Wolffe. Your eyes traced the sharp scar that ran through his right eye, his milky white cybernetic staring straight ahead.

“I assure you, your majesty,” Master Koon continued, snapping you out of your thoughts, “no harm will come to you or your family while we are here.”

“Your assurances are warmly welcomed,” your mother said. She linked her arm through your father’s arm. “Let us talk more about this as we show you around.” She turned and motioned for him to follow.

“That would be wonderful.” He gave her a small bow before turning to the commander and giving him a small nod. Commander Wolffe nodded back and turned to the gunships as the rest of his men unloaded.

As Master Koon fell into step beside your parents, you spared one last glance at the clone commander. He stood in front of the lead gunship, talking to another clone with silver hair. He must have felt himself being watched, for he turned around to meet your gaze. Your eyes widened and you quickly ducked your head, trailing behind your parents.

What you failed to see was the barest hint of a smile tugging at the corners of Wolffe’s lips.

\---

You retired to your room after the tour with Master Koon assuring you the first patrol of guards would be ready before dinner. Sure enough, a knock came to your door right as you were finishing getting ready for dinner.

“Tell them to come in, please!” you told your maid as she reached for the control pad of the door.

Two clone troopers entered, holding their helmets at their sides and snapping to a smart salute. You could see their resemblance to their commander, though they had different hairstyles: one with stark silver hair and the other with two stripes of red going down his head.

“Sergent Sinker and Trooper Boost for your guard, your highness,” said the one with silver hair.

You turned to face them and smiled. “Pleased to meet you both. I'm almost done getting ready, but in the meantime, would you like to sit?”

They both looked to the seats that you had gestured to, before turning back to you.

“Thank you, ma’am,” began the silver-haired one again. “However, it is our duty to—.”

The other man interrupted him by jabbing an elbow into his side. “What Sinker means to say,” he said, extending his hand in a formal gesture, “is that it is our duty to serve you and that we would be honored to sit and wait.”

You smiled again at their antics, as the one called Sinker grumbled to the other, Boost. “What’d you do that for?!”

“You can't say no to royalty, _vod_!”

As your maid finished securing the last of your elegant pins in your hair, you talked to the two troopers assigned to you for the evening rotation. You learned that they referred to each other as their brothers, and that Sinker and Boost were particularly close because they were batch mates. They loved working with their general, Master Plo. Yours was the prettiest planet they had been on so far. And they had been told to keep you away from their newest member, a “shiny,” who had a penchant for getting in trouble around pretty girls.

“And how is Commander Wolffe?” you found yourself asking after a lull in the conversation.

Sinker shrugged and Boost grinned. “He’s not that bad,” Boost said. “He seems like he’s all tough and everythin’, but on the inside, he’s a total softie.” He winked at you. “Why do you ask?”

“I would just like to get to know him better,” you said, willing your heartbeat to return to a normal speed, and hoping he couldn’t see the flush you felt rising to your cheeks. “I would like to know the man who is in charge of keeping me and my family safe.”

This time Sinker elbowed Boost in the side. “He’s a really great commander,” Sinker said in earnest, turning to you. “We’ve been through a lot with him an’ the general, an’ I would do anything if I was by their sides.”

“Then I know we’ll be in good hands,” you said, smiling at the way they both lit up with pride for their commander, their brother.

\---

“Darling, would you like to tell Master Plo here about your love for Jedi?”

You groaned and put your face in your hands. Your father liked to tell embarrassing stories to dinner guests, especially this dinner guest. “Father, _please_.”

“Oh, no, please, I am interested,” Master Plo, as he’d requested you call him, said. Although you could not see much of his face, you could sense his joy in his voice.

“One of your order came to see us,” your father began. “It was quite a time ago. I believe his name was Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi.”

Master Plo nodded. “Yes, I remember Qui-Gon mentioning he visited here before he tragically died. And Master Kenobi still talks about his time here during council meetings.”

“Yes, we were so distraught hearing about Master Jinn,” your mother tutted. “But it is nice to know little Obi-Wan still talks about us.”

“How old were you, darling, when they visited?” your father asked you.

You huffed and held your head up with one arm, pouting. “I was _five_ , father.”

“Oh, yes!” your father exclaimed, clapping his hands together. “She was absolutely _fascinated_ by Master Qui-Gon. She probably begged him to do your Force tricks five times a day.”

“Indeed?” Master Plo brought a taloned hand up to where his mouth would be, his shoulders shaking with laughter.

You puffed out your cheeks in indignation. “I still think it’s cool,” you muttered, pushing your remaining food around in your plate. You heard laughter behind you, and you turned around in your seat to find Boost and Sinker laughing at their spots along the wall. You stuck your tongue out at them before your father called your name.

“You may leave now, my dear,” he said.

“Before you tell any more embarrassing stories?” you taunted. However, you stood and walked to his chair, giving him and your mother a kiss on their cheek. “Goodnight, father. I will never see you again.”

Everyone left at the table laughed as you scurried away to your room, a smile stretching across your face. You paused under an archway in the hallway to wait for Boost and Sinker to escort you to your room. However, you only heard one set of footsteps approach you and you turned to face them.

“Oh! Commander Wolffe!” You recognized the gray patterning on his armor and he nodded to you. You felt the flush return to your cheeks. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

“I was assigned to your evening guard, your highness.” His voice was much the same as Boost and Sinker, although you thought it was much gruffer. The low growl of his voice sent a shiver down your spine. He motioned in front of you, breaking you out of your trance. “Shall we?”

“Oh, of course.” You turned and walked down the hallway, willing your cheeks to return to their natural shade. The door to your room opened automatically and you took a step inside before turning back around to face him again.

“Have you eaten yet, Commander?” you asked.

“Not yet, your highness,” he replied, standing tall and broad in front of you, his hands behind his back. “I will after my replacement shows up.”

“And when will that be?” you asked again, crossing your arms.

“Sometime in the night,” he replied again.

Your eyebrows shot up. “That is much too long to go without food. Please, go eat something. I promise I won’t go anywhere.”

“I'm afraid I can’t do that, ma’am,” he said. His resolve was much stronger than yours was. “I will be fine until then.” He paused before adding, “I promise.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you promise to eat as soon as your replacement comes?”

Commander Wolffe sighed, but his voice did not show any annoyance. “I promise.”

You held up your hand, pinky extended. “Pinky promise?”

A sound came from behind his helmet, and you swore it was a quiet chuckle. “Pinky promise.” He extended his own pinky and you clasped them together before releasing them.

“Goodnight, Commander,” you said, smiling up at him.

“Goodnight, your highness,” he said, nodding to you respectfully and stepping to the side of your door.

You hoped he was smiling under his helmet.


	2. Chapter 2

“So what do you think of the princess?”

Wolffe huffed and rolled his eyes as he sat down, debating throwing his helmet at Boost. He took the offered ration bar from him and debated smearing _that_ over his smug face. But he had promised, no, _pinky promised_ , the princess he would eat.

“Better than some of the rabble we deal with,” he muttered over a bite of the bland ration bar.

Sinker grunted beside him in agreement. “I heard the advisor is a pain in the _shebs_ , though.”

“Yeah, well we don’t have to guard him,” Boost said. “Just the royals.” He turned back to Wolffe. “Say, how long are we stationed here anyway?”

Wolffe shrugged. Threats against the royal family could last anywhere from a couple of days to weeks, months even. “Me an’ the general are going to investigate around tomorrow with the king, see if we can find who’s behind it.”

“Why would the seps want to go after them in the first place?” Comet asked from across the room on his bunk.

“They’re still a neutral planet,” Wolffe explained. “Some seppie dignitaries came here before, but the king declined each time. It’s probably retaliation for not joinin’ them.”

“You think it’ll get worse now that we’re here?”

Wolffe shrugged again, taking the last bite of his ration bar and tossing the wrapper at Boost. “Probably. But that’s why we’re investigating so we’ll be ready for it.”

“Well, I don’t mind it,” Boost said, crumpling up the wrapper and tossing it at Sinker. “Like you said, we’ve dealt with worse. Besides, look at this place!” He motioned to the barracks room they were currently sitting in. Wolffe had to agree; it was nicer than most of the places they had to stay. Normally, most of their _hosts_ kept them as far away and in the worst barracks they had. But this one was _nice_ , nicer than Wolffe had ever seen. Actual cushioned beds and a ‘fresher that had hot water that lasted. And not that far from the castle keep so it wouldn’t take them long if something happened.

“Also helps that the princess is nice,” Boost continued. He smirked at Sinker. “Kinda pretty, too.”

Wolffe should have reprimanded Boost for such a comment but he was too busy thinking that he was right for once. She was pretty, _beautiful_ he might say, as beautiful as anything he’d seen before in this awful war. He kept thinking of the smile she had given him once she’d said goodnight— _she had actually said goodnight to him!_ Her smile was so sweet, making her eyes sparkle, and making his chest flutter with something…warm? And he swore that if he hadn’t been leaning against her door, his knees would have buckled at the way she smiled at him.

He was snapped out of his thoughts by Boost waving his hand in front of him. He smacked his hand away and scowled at him. “What?”

“I asked you a question,” Boost said, rolling his eyes. “What’s gotten into you lately?”

Wolffe stood, grabbing his helmet—and really, _really_ fighting the urge to chuck it at Boost. “Go ask someone else then,” he snapped. “I'm tired and I'm going to take a shower before bed. I suggest getting some rest before I assign you early morning duty.”

Boost groaned as he walked to the ‘freshers and he heard Sinker tell him to shut up before he gave them both early morning duty. He sighed as he tossed his helmet onto his bed, sitting and removing his armor before grabbing his things for the ‘fresher. As he let the hot water wash over him, he could only see her smiling up at him behind his eyelids. He let his head hit the wall of the fresher, not bothering to open his eyes, willing that, maybe for once, he could have a happy memory to hold onto.

\---

Birds chirped in the trees as you walked through the garden, the crunch of your soft-soled shoes and your guards’ boots echoing down the path. This morning, you had Comet and Warthog as your guard until Boost and Sinker returned for the afternoon. Now, they were arguing over who was the better pilot, as you made your way back to the castle for lunch.

“Oh, yeah?” you heard Warthog taunt behind you. “Can you do a reverse half Saleucaminian eight?”

“That’s not even a real move!” Comet retorted back to his brother.

“Who’s the _real_ pilot here?!”

You smiled at their antics. They had seemed so reserved when they first introduced themselves, but they had slowly relaxed once they realized they could let go around you. From what you heard on the Holonet and your friend in Coruscant, you knew they lived a harsh life of war and bloodshed, and you hoped that they got the rest they deserved while they were assigned to you.

“Princess, who do you think the better pilot is?” Warthog asked, quickening his pace so he could walk in time with you.

You tilted your head, pretending to think it over. “Hmm. Well, I don’t know a lot about flying, but I think you are Warthog.”

Warthog shouted triumphantly, turning to face his brother. “See? I'm right!”

“She hasn’t even seen us fly!” Comet protested.

Someone cleared their throat in front of you, bringing you back to the present moment. You looked up, coming face-to-face with your father’s advisor.

“Kurlar,” you said coolly, taking a step back.

“Your highness,” Kurlar said, just as coolly, dipping his head. “His majesty requests your presence for lunch. I did not realize you were busy _fraternizing_ with these _clones_.”

You stiffened at his words. “I'm sorry, but I was taught that it’s _polite_ to talk to other people, no matter who they are. I'm sorry you weren’t raised the same way.” Then you raised your chin and brushed past him, heading for the keep.

Your blood boiled. You should have expected that kind of sentiment from him, from the man that urged your father to host the separatist delegates. If it were not for the representatives of the people urging your father not to accept, you would be under separatist rule.

“I'm so very sorry about that,” you said once you were sure you were out of earshot of Kurlar, turning to face the two men behind you. “It is not _at all_ what my father or I believe in, so please, accept my apology for Kurlar’s horrid behavior.”

Comet shrugged. “It’s alright, princess. We’re used to it.”

Your heart broke slightly for them. “Still, it’s not right. Please, come to me if this happens again, alright?”

Warthog and Comet looked to each other before turning back to you. “We will, ma’am,” Warthog said. “Thank you.”

You gave them one last reassuring smile then continued on your way toward the dining hall. If they could have one friend during this war, you vowed it would be you.

\---

After you finished eating dinner that night, you excused yourself again, bowing politely to Master Plo, and listening to the sound of Commander Wolffe falling into step behind you. You walked down the hallway that leads to your room, but at the intersection of hallways, you turned to the direction of the gardens. The commander paused in the middle of the hallway, tilting his helmet in the direction of your room.

“Your highness?” he questioned.

You turned around to face him, a small smile on your face. “I wish to go to the gardens before bed. Will you join me?”

“It’s my duty, ma’am.”

You huffed. Of course. “Well, would you at least like to?”

Commander Wolffe stood for a moment, considering your words. “Yes, I would like that, ma’am.”

You smiled brightly. “Excellent! Then please, join me, commander.”

The singing of birds was replaced with the chirping of frogs and crickets, as you looked out over the balcony at the sprawling city below you. You rested your arms on the railing, leaning on it and breathing in the night air. You felt his gaze on you from beside you, and you turned to him, still keeping the bright, serene smile on your face.

“You can take off your helmet, if you’d like,” you said.

He paused again, before taking off his helmet and tucking it under an arm. The soft lights at the corners of the balcony posts made his one good eye shine like gold and softening all of his features.

“I love coming out here at night,” you said, sighing. “Everything is usually so peaceful at night. But I had stopped once the attacks started.” You sighed again, this time more mournful. “I suppose the war has finally caught up with us.”

You heard him grunt next to you, and you immediately regretted your words.

“I'm sorry,” you said quickly. “I shouldn’t have said that.”

“It’s alright, princess,” he said, surprisingly soft. “You’ve got a lot on your mind.”

You nodded, chewing your lip. “It’s just that…my father saw so much violence in his lifetime, and he vowed that he would never let it happen to his people again. But we can never leave it, it seems.”

“Your father is a good man.” You heard him shift closer to you, so you could feel his warmth from under his armor. “I’ve met many leaders who don’t put their credits where their mouth is.”

The cool night air ruffled the edges of your skirt as you stood in silence next to the clone commander. His words relieved some of the stress off your mind, but the worrying thoughts still pulsed in the back of your mind.

“What are you afraid of, princess?”

You looked up at him, surprised by his gentle tone. He was looking down at you, his body angled toward yours, concern etched in his features. You studied his face for a moment longer, studying the way his tan skin gleamed like bronze in the soft light, soothing the permanent scowl from his features.

“I don’t know,” you said, averting your gaze and sighing again. “I feel silly talking about this with you. I mean, you and your brothers risk your lives every day for us. It feels selfish of me to complain.”

“It’s alright to feel afraid, princess.” His hand came to rest beside yours, the material of his glove barely touching your skin. “It’s just natural for us, ‘specially when you haven’t experienced something like this before. As for me an’ my brothers, well….” He trailed off into a deep sigh. You turned your gaze to his again, noting the permanent scowl had returned to his features. “We consider it our duty to fight in the war, but….”

“You may speak freely with me, commander,” you said when he trailed off again, resting your hand over his.

His lips twisted in a grimace. “We have trained our whole lives for this but…it isn’t glorious. It isn’t beautiful, or even heroic. It’s merely doing your duty, and doing it again and again, even if someday you look like this.” He turned his head so you could see the scar covering his right eye. His cybernetic gleamed brightly in the moonlight. He sighed, looking down again. “I'm sorry, princess.”

“No, please, it’s alright,” you assured him, tentatively resting your hand on his arm. “I'm glad you trust me enough to tell me this.”

“My men seem to like you,” he said, giving you the first soft smile you’ve seen from him. “I try to trust the people who my men like.”

Your heart and face warmed at his words, and you ducked your head to avoid his persistent gaze. “I was merely doing what I thought was right.”

“Not many people stand up for us,” he said. “It’s…relieving to know we have some allies out there.”

You turned to face him again, feeling something in your chest warm and tighten. Gaining the commander’s trust was not something you thought you would achieve, least of all this early. You hoped you wouldn’t do something foolish to break it.

Commander Wolffe’s face suddenly returned to its natural scowl, his eye distant as if he were listening intently for something. You furrowed your brows in confusion. “Commander?”

He jerked his head up, looking at a point beyond you, his eyes widening. “Princess, get down!” He shoved you to the ground behind him, narrowly avoiding the blaster bolt that hit the spot where you previously stood.

Three sleek droids climbed over the balcony railing to your left, their blasters pointed at you where you were sprawled behind the commander. He sprang into action, whipping out his dual pistols and making short work of the droids that had tried a surprise attack, leaving you with your mouth gaping open like a fish out of water. Once he was certain the smoking bodies wouldn’t come back to life, he turned back around to face you, holstering his pistols.

“Are you alright, princess?” he asked, extending his hand to help you up.

You nodded and took his hand. “Yes, I'm fine.” Your hands and knees trembled ever so slightly. “Thank you, commander, I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

He opened his mouth to say something else but was interrupted by someone shouting from the entrance behind him. Looking behind him, you saw your mother and father and Master Plo rushing out of the castle keep. Your mother rushed to you, her arms outstretched, pulling you close to her.

“Mama, I'm fine,” you assured her, yet you wrapped your arms around her and buried your face in her shoulder.

“What happened?” your father asked, his tone firm but not angry.

“Sir, three assassin droids surprised us by climbing over the balcony,” Commander Wolffe explained.

“Most distressing,” came the modulated voice of Master Plo where he was standing over one of the depowered droids. “Wolffe, do you think this was meant to be an attack?”

The commander shook his head. “Unlikely, general. These clankers were too easy to destroy. I think it was just a warning for his majesty.”

“Most distressing, indeed,” your father said, stroking his chin. “You said you had men who could take information from these droids?”

Wolffe nodded this time. “Of course, sir. I’ll have Smoke and Grease take a look at them in the morning.”

“Very good, commander.” Your father turned away from the commander and his general to you, letting him bark something into his communicator on his wrist, his face full of worry. “Are you alright?”

“Yes, papa, I'm fine,” you said, allowing him to pull you into his arms. “Thanks to Commander Wolffe. He realized the droids were here before I had even seen them.”

“Then, I am glad we are under such capable hands,” your mother said, smoothing your hair and kissing the top of your head. “Go back in with your father; I'm sure you’re tired. I’ll join you in a minute.”

You nodded, already feeling the adrenaline draining from your limbs, leaving you tired and shaky. You saw your mother go up to the commander, seeming to argue with him about something. But that was a question for tomorrow.

\---

You couldn’t sleep. But not because of a fear of the droids. No, you couldn’t get the image of the handsome clone commander out of your mind. The way his good eye shone like bronze in the dim lamplight. His hand, warm despite the black duraweave under yours. The way those same hands had gripped your arms tight, pulling you behind him. The subtle snarl to his lips as he easily dispatched the droids. It all made your heart and stomach flutter in a way you didn’t understand.

You sighed, turning over to bury your face in your pillows. You would call your friend tomorrow, and ask for her advice. You hoped she would give you good advice, or else you weren’t sure what you would do. Otherwise, you were sure you would never sleep with the commander’s gravelly, but soothing voice constantly replaying in your head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you liked this, consider leaving a kudos or a comment!! if you want to see more, hmu on my tumblr @/catsnkooks


	3. Chapter 3

“Recall the scene to me one more time.”

You resisted the urge to sigh and roll your eyes, plastering a polite smile on your face, retelling what had happened to you last night for the _third_ time. “Of course. Three assassin droids climbed over the railing of the garden balcony. Luckily, Commander Wolffe heard them in time and destroyed them before any harm could come to either of us.” You leaned back in your chair and let out a small sigh, clenching your hands under the table. Your father gave you a supportive smile from your left.

Advisor Kurlar nodded from his position opposite from you at the council table. He stroked his chin in thought. He opened his mouth as if to ask something else, but was cut off by the representative from the farming district.

“I think we’ve heard her say it enough times,” she grumbled. A brusque woman, you’d always known her as one to detest these council meetings. Yet you’d never met someone more dedicated than your father for her people.

Kurlar snapped his mouth shut, _finally_ being quiet for the first time in today’s council meeting. Your father patted your leg beside you.

“You may go now, my dear, if you wish,” he murmured.

“Thank you, father.” You quietly made your leave of the room while your father and the various representatives discussed the implications of last night’s attack.

You sighed loudly once the door closed behind you, earning a chuckle from Comet and Warthog who waited for you. “Rough crowd?” Comet asked.

You shook your head. “It wouldn’t be bad if I didn’t have to repeat myself _three times_.”

Warthog nodded. “Sounds like the commander when he gets mad at us.” He cleared his throat, lowering his voice to imitate his commander’s distinctive growl. “Now, I want you to tell me it again, _exactly_ how it happened.”

His impression was uncanny and you laughed. “Oh, speaking of, where is the commander?”

Comet jerked his head down the hallway. “Probably with Smoke ‘n’ Grease, tearin’ up those droids from last night. We can take you there if you’d like?”

You nodded again. “That sounds perfect.” After your reflection last night, you had a few more things you’d like to discuss with the commander.

\---

It wasn’t hard to find the mechanics room, once Comet and Warthog had shown you the way. With all the clanging and cursing, you were sure the whole city could hear them. It only worsened once you entered the room. Droid parts littered the floor with one being operated on the table in the middle of the room. Commander Wolffe stood at one end of the table, looking exasperated. He looked up when you entered and cleared his throat, hissing something you didn’t catch to the two men sitting beside him. Their eyes snapped up and they immediately stood, knocking over a few tools in the process.

“Ma’am!” “Princess!” they shouted in unison.

You cringed. “Oh, please, there’s no need for that. Continue what you were doing.”

They both shrugged and sat back down, continuing to operate on the droid.

You stepped over the droid parts to stand beside Commander Wolffe, Comet and Warthog taking seats behind the two other men, who you assumed were Smoke and Grease. “How is it coming along, commander?”

“We’ve managed to crack into one of the droids,” he explained, waving to a droid propped up on the wall behind him. “That one didn’t have much information, so we’re hoping this one is the lead droid.”

You nodded, impressed. “You have a very good system here.”

One of the men looked up at you, grinning. “No one knows clankers like me an’ Grease.”

Grease, covered in his namesake, grinned wildly as well. “Even if the commander doesn’t like what we do with those clankers.”

You looked to Commander Wolffe, confused. He just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Why did I get stuck with you two?” he complained.

“Aw, don’t talk like that commander,” Smoke said, pushing some buttons and closing a panel on the droid. “Look!” With one last slap, the droid’s eyes sputtered back to life and it sat up.

You yelped as Commander Wolffe pushed you behind him, an arm shielding you. “Are you kriffing insane?! Turn it off, that thing’s dangerous!”

“Oh, calm down, sir, he’s not dangerous!” Grease said. He patted the droid’s shoulder. “Right, Sparky?”

The droid said something in its garbled language, then laid back down and, thankfully, shut off. You breathed a sigh of relief, but the commander looked like he was about to explode.

Just then, your mother entered, saving the two mechanics from their commander’s wrath. She held a container that held something that looked suspiciously like—.

“Cookies?” you gasped. You reached for one, but your mother held it away from you, tutting.

“I promised Commander Wolffe I would bring his men some cookies,” she said, setting the container down on the counter. “You may have one once they have had one.”

The four men at the table—Smoke, Grease, Comet, and Warthog—took a cookie, examined it, and then bit into it. They all moaned at the taste, licking up the gooey center before it made a mess of their hands. Grease eagerly reached for a second and a third, trying to stuff them all in his mouth at once. He was only stopped once his brother elbowed him in the side.

“Thank you,” he said over a mouthful of cookie.

Your mother smiled. “Of course, dear. Take as many as you like.” She offered the container to you and Commander Wolffe.

“Thank you, ma’am, but I'm good.”

She leveled him with a stare, holding out the container with insistence. “Commander, do you remember our talk from last night?”

The commander sighed and took a cookie. “Yes, ma’am.”

“Mother, you didn’t threaten him, did you?” you asked, appalled.

“Oh, of course not!” Your mother tutted and gave you the container filled with cookies. She patted you on the cheek as she left the room. “I'm afraid I have to leave now. Please help yourselves!”

Comet tapped you on the shoulder and motioned to the container. “May I have another, ma’am?”

You smiled at him and set the container on the table for them, turning back to the commander. “What did you get out of the one droid?”

Commander Wolffe nodded, holding up a holopad. “They were after you, as we suspected. Something about holding you hostage and asking for a ransom. We haven’t been able to crack who sent them yet, unfortunately.”

You nodded through the chill that ran down your spine. You were very thankful that he had stopped this attempted kidnapping. “I'm afraid I will also have to leave now, but, please, keep me updated, commander.” You smiled and waved to the men in the room as you made your leave.

\---

“Princess, may I have a word?”

You looked up from the book you were reading, happiness flooding through you at who you saw. “Ashlyn!”

She grinned and enveloped you in a hug. “It’s so good to see you. I’ve been so worried.”

Ashlyn Varga was the owner and headmistress of the royal orphanage within the city. A slightly older woman, she reminded you of your mother, and you often considered her like an aunt. You loved to go to the orphanage any chance you had and visit with the children and help them with anything they would need, but with the threats that have been happening lately, you feared for your safety as well as theirs. You missed going and you were so glad she had come to visit you.

“Yes, it’s become much worse than we ever thought.” She smelled like fresh laundry and baked goods, and you could feel your worries ease away for the time. “But hopefully it will become better now that Master Plo is here with his men.” You leaned back in her grasp and sighed. “I really wish I could come. I’ve missed going. I almost feel trapped here.”

She smiled and patted your cheek. “The children miss you dearly. We would love to have you back, but if you don’t think it is safe enough….” She trailed off, leaving both of your thoughts unspoken.

You sat back in your chair, twisting your lips in thought. “It’s probably not safe, but…I really want to go and I'm sure you need the help.” An idea came to you and you grinned, standing again. You took her hands in yours. “Leave the back door open for me, like always. I’ll be there.”

Her eyes shone with worry for a few moments before she clasped your hands back. “We’ll be waiting for you.”

\---

“Is there something on your mind, princess?”

You sighed and glanced at your feet. Your anxiety about the reality of last night only heightened throughout the day. You glanced back up at Commander Wolffe walking beside you.

“I suppose I’ve become aware of the severity of the situation,” you said with a mirthless laugh.

“Is there anything I can do to help?”

You shook your head. “No, no. Your men are doing their best and I truly appreciate it. I don’t think there is much you can do to stop my worrying.” You reached your bedroom and you stood in the open doorway, sighing.

He nodded. “I understand, princess.” He stood resolute in front of you and you felt your worries dissipate again, for just a moment. “If there’s anything you need, please, tell me.”

A genuine smile stretched across your warm cheeks. “Of course, commander. I trust you.”

His nod faltered this time. “Ah, thank—thank you, ma’am.” He gave you a quick salute and left to do the remainder of his circuit.

That was…odd. You puzzled over his almost awkward behavior as you changed for bed. Did he get as flustered around you as you did around him sometimes? You shook your head. No, he couldn’t….

You were so distracted by your thoughts that you didn’t notice someone was in your room until it was too late. A cold metal hand grabbed your wrist and jerked you toward the window. You tried to pull away but the droid, two of them, climbing in from your window, held on fast.

“Let me go!” you yelled. “Let me—!” One of the droids backhanded you before you could yell again, and you fell to the ground, clutching at your face. Your vision blacked out for a moment and you could barely hear anything. Suddenly, you heard blasters and someone else yelling, and when your vision returned, you saw the concerned face of Commander Wolffe kneeling next to you.

“Princess, are you alright?” His voice was steady but his tone was urgent. “Are you hurt?”

You shook your head. “No, I…I don’t think so.” You took his offered hand and stood on shaky legs while he barked into his comm, something about getting a medic and someone else to clean up the mess of droids. He guided you over to sit on your bed while he knelt in front of you.

“I'm sorry I didn’t see them earlier,” he said, avoiding your eyes. “I should have heard them before I left. I'm so sorry I failed you.”

“Commander, you didn’t fail me,” you said softly. You lifted his chin with your hand so you could look into his eyes. Both of them were filled with remorse.

“I did,” he whispered. “I failed you. You trusted me and I failed you.”

“ _Wolffe_.” You moved your hand from his chin to his cheek. “You did not fail me. Even if you didn’t notice them right away, you still saved me. I trust you with everything that I have.”

He watched your face for a few moments after you removed your hand. Then, he looked away and opened his mouth, but closed it again after nothing came out. “Thank you,” he whispered, and then your door opened and he stood, angling away from you.

The medic came over to you and checked you over, determining that you didn’t have any serious injuries, as did your parents before you told them you were fine and to go to bed. Commander Wolffe was the last to leave your room for the night. His eyes searched your face for…something, you weren’t sure.

“I’ll be right here if you need me,” he murmured. “I swear.”

You placed a hand on his chest plate and smiled shyly up at him. “I trust you, Wolffe.”

**Author's Note:**

> if you liked this, please consider leaving a kudos and a comment!! if you want to see more, hmu on my tumblr @/catsnkooks


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